Machine for weighing traveling loads



BEST AVAILABLE COP A. E. BROWN.

MACHINE FOR WEIGHING TRAVELING LOADS.

(No Model.)

Patented Mar. 12, 1889.

Jnren 130 z,

W ra kamu H M M Wz'inzaxres,

BEST AVAiL ABLE CCF UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER E. lRO\\'N, OF (.LEVELAND, OHIO.

MACHINE FOR WEIGHING TRAVELING LOADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,487, dated March12, 1889.

' Application filed March 5, 1887.

T 0 all whom, it may concern..-

Be it known thatl, ALEXANDER E. BRoWN, of Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Weighing 'iraveling Loads; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference beinghad tothe accompanying drawings, making part ofthis application.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a machineor apparatus for weighing materials (and in the case shown'adapt-edespecially to the weighing of traveling trucks or loads in the use ofhoisting and col'lveying machines) according to a novel method or systemmade the subject of United States Letters Patent granted to me August9,1887, No. 368,063,in which said new method will be found fullydescribed.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my presentinvcntion relatesto make and use my novel machine for practicing my said new system ofweighing, I will now proceed to more fully describe the same, referringby letters to theaccompanying drawings, which form part of thisspecification, and in which I have illustrated my invention carriedoutin that form in which I have successfully practiced it, and which isthe best now known to me.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view or' elevation of one of myimproved machines, such as I have made and used in connection with arigid tramway hoisting and conveying machine. Fig. .2 is a top view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is an end view, and Fig. 4. a partial verticalcross-sccti n at line a: w of Fig. 1.

In the several figures the same parts will be found designated by thesame letters of reference.

A A are the track-beams or elevated tramway in connection with which Ihave practiced my present invention. At suitable distances apart on saidtramway are erected and securely supported two metallic arches, B B, andalso an intcrn'iediate arch, C, and at the locality between the arches BB the inner upper edges of the track-beams A are chamfered off, asn'iostclearly seen by reference to Fig. 3.

D is a cage-like weighing-platform composed, as shown, of a series ofmetallic arches Serial No. 229,807. (No model.)

connected together by longitudinal bracebars, (the'whole being suitablycross-braced to give the cage rigidity,) and the lower inner ends of thearch-like. pieces have securely fastened to them angle-irons n, (seeFig. 3,) which form a continuation of the intcrrupted track-irons a ofthe tramway. These track-irons 'n are adapted to receive and support thewheels of the conveying-machines (shown at 11) whenever the same maytravel or pass from the track a a of the tramway onto and over the trackit n of the platform or cage 1). machine are shown as traveling'upon'the track-irons of the platform 1). This trackplatform issuspended at four points, and

At Fig. 3 the wheels of the near each end by suspension-loops s, whichare hung upon hooks that are suspended at their eyes upon thekniferedged supports 1) of two lovers or scale-beams, I, that are inturn hung upon knife-edges at their outer ends, and which are supportedat their adjacent and inner end-s upon similar knifeedged supports, in amanner to be presently explained. These levers or scale-beams E are eachsupported at the outer end upon knife-edged bearings c, which rest andbear in loops that are hooked into fixed suspenderrods 1), that dependfrom the tops of the metallic arches B, all as best seen by reference toFig. 1. The inner and adjacent ends of said scale-beams E- are supportedby knifeedges 6 and 0?, which havetheir bearings in the eyes of the loopor link f, the upper end of which is hooked into apivotcd link,,g, thatin turn rests upon a knife-edge, i, (see Fig. 4,) which is permanentlysecured to the middle part of the lever-arm (1, one end of which issuspended by an articulation ath from the top of the metallic frame C,and the other end of which is connected with a hook, m, to a loop whichpasses over the knife-edged journal J of the scale-beam G. Thisscale-beam G'is pivoted at 7.; bya knife-edged journal in the upper endof a stand, l, whichis securely bolted to and projects a short distanceabove lower end of which isz'uu-lzorcd to a tixed part of the frame-workot' the appz't'ratus.

Ill is an indicator or register wheel, which is mounted to turn freelywith or upon a-ver- I 5 tical. shaft, 1, having a suitable step-bearingI0 is rotated continuously with a uniform moriphery of said idler at -r,is provided at its lower end with a nor to be presently tion by anysuitable means, preferably by clock mechanism, such as shown at S,through the mediumof a driving band or cord, f,which, after havingpassed partially around the pedrum M and thence over an weight, '11.This drum is designed to carry on its periphery an iiulicator-eard orslip of paper, upon which are to be recorded, in a manexplained, thelines which indicate and register the weight or weights of the loadswhich maybe placed upon the platform 1), or which may travel over thesame, and also the standard line or "lines, by comparison of which,according to my system, the record of the load or loads weighed is to beascertained. The outer end of the scale-beam G is connected by asuitable rod or piston, as shown at Fig. 1, with a dash-pot at L,designed to operate preferably with atmospheric air. q is a verticalguide bar or way, against the inner face of which travels anauti-frietion roller, :10, that is mounted to turn freely on a studsecured in a stand that projects laterally from the outer side or faceof the scale-beam G near its outer end, for a purpose to be presentlyexplained.

'r is a marker device or pencil, suit-ably mounted near the end of beamG at a point 0 about coincident with a radius of the wheel Mthat is, atright angles to the vertical plane in which the beam G lies.

In the working oroperation ot' the machine so far described theplacement upon or passage over the suspended platform D of any weight orload causes said platform to be i slightly depressed, and in its descentit pulls upon the pivoted levers E E through the media of the connectinglinks or loops .9 and the '50 knife-edged pivots c, causing the innerand adjacent ends of said levers E to pull down through the media of theknife-edged pivots e and 6 upon the. link f, which in turn exerts adownward pull through its connection at g on the knife-edged pivot 1' ofthe cross-lever (1. This lever (I, being articulated, as beforedescribed, at one end, is caused to slightly-descend at its other end,thus pulling downwardly through the media of the. bar m and knife-edgedpivotthe shorter end of the scalebeam 9, thus causing the outer orlonger-end of said scale-beam to ascend, and in this upward movement ofthe outer end of said sealebeam the pencil or marker device '2' iscaused to drawin a nearly-vertical direction a line or mark upon theperiphery or indicator card of the drum M. As this drum revolvescontinu- BEST AVAlLABLE COP- ously, the line drawn will be slightlyoblique, and when the load shall have, been removed from or shall havepassed entirely over the platform D the resumption by all the parts oftheiroriginal positions will cause the marking dev ice to draw aslightly-oblique descending line, the loop end of which will of coursebe at the same level as that in which the line first made began. As themarker device or pencil '2' remains (mnt'inuously in contact by suitablespring-pressure with the periphery ot' the drum ill or the paper placedthereon, said pencil will of course continue to mark in a horizontaldirection on the drum-paper until the mechanism may be again operated byanother load applied to or passing over the platform I). I

Dtiring the operation just described the scale-beam G, when operated bythe weight of a load on the platform D, is moved against the pullingtendency or resistance of the powerful coil-spring I, and it is thisspring which acts as a motor when the platform shall have been relievedof its load to bring all the parts back to their original positions. Asin suddenly placing a load on the plat form I), or suddenly causingaloaded ear or truck to pass thereovcr, there is exerted a greattendency to etl'eeta sudden jarring'and vibration of all the parts,which would naturally tend to obstruct an even movement of the markingdevice, and which might operate to throw the long end of the scale-beameither above or below the exact. limits to which the dead-weight of theload should cause it to move, I have combined, as already described,with the outer end of the scale-beam G a dashpot, L, the function andeffect. of which is to prevent any sudden vibration of the long end ofthe scale-beam G without preventing said end from moving in eitherdirection to the fullest extent to which the weight on and thereleasement of the weight. from the platform should move the scale-beamfort-he purpose of making a true registration of the amount of gravityof the. load passing over the platform.

To avoid any possible vibration of the long end of the scale-beam Glaterally, that might operate to and in j uriously atfect the perfectworking of the spring-pencil or elastic marking device, I have provideda vertical guide or bar, and the small anti-friction roller 1', mountedon one side of the SCZLlt'E-lltlitlll G, as shown and described,thefunction and effect of which devices are to cause the anti-frictionroller to bear with little or no impediment to the motion of the scalebeam against the inner face of the vertical bar q andto steady and holdthe scale-beam laterally during its upward and downward movements.

It will be observed that the knife-edges 01' pivotal points of each oneof the lovers E, as well as those of the scale-beam G, are placedexactly in a right line, and this is an important and indispensablefeature in the construction of my machine, although directly oppositetothe principle of construction necessarily and properly involved inscales or weighing contrivances in which the operation involves thebalancing of some lover or beam in the operation of measuring theweight. In my machine, as there is no balancing of any of the beams orlevers, but the registering operation, in order to be correctly done,must be effected by the action of vibrating parts, in which the leveragemust remain exactlythe same during their movements, this a rangement ofthe pivotalpoints exactly in ine is of the utmost importance.

In the practical use of my machine so far, especially for thepurposesfor-which I haveemployed it namely, for ascertaining the separate andcollective weights of aseries of loaded trucks or cars passing over abridge or tramway and of the empty returning cars, (in order toascertain the aggregate weightof material deli vered ove r the tramwaywithi n a given time)I have adopted a system of depressing the platformperiodically-say--at-me'iifing,.noon, and evening of each dayby thepassage over it of what I call a standard weightthat is, a load ofaccurately-ascertained gravity-and then, by a comparison of the marksregistered by'the action on the platform of all the loaded and emptycars passing over during the day with either one of the marks made bythe passage of the standard weight, (or with an average a'sto thelengths of said three marks, provided apy variation between themappear,)

I haye ascertained the exact weights of the aggregate gross loadspassing over the platform, and also the aggregate of the tare loadsreturned, a subtraction of one from the other of which of course showsaccurately the amount of material that may have been delivered over theplatform within a given time.

So far as the main or generic features of novelty involved in my machineare concerned, it is of course immaterial whether it be used in the wayI have employed it or in some other manner or under entirelydiiferent'circumstances. I therefore wish it to be understood that I do,not limit myself in this application to a form of machine such as shownand'descrihed, and which is more especially I adapted tobe used for thepurposes to which I have happened so far to have practically applied myinvention. Itmayhefound quitepractieable for other purposes-forinstance, such as for the purposes of hay and other stationaryplatform-scales embodying the primary or generic features of my presentinvention in a machine of quite diiferent form and very different in itsdetailed construction from that shown and described. In any suchmodification of mymachine, however, it will be indispensable to itsaccurate operation that the platform-sustaining system of levers havetheir pivotal connections arranged in line on each lever, and that somesort of device, either stationary or movable, be employed for thepurpose of registering the extent of move- BEST AVAELABLE COP ment ofthe long arm of the scale-beam G, and thatsome sort of standard measureor load be employed with which to draw comparison of the marksregistered by weighing other loads for the purpose of ascertainingexactly the gravity of said other-loads in substantially the mannerhereinbet'ore explained. In another application filed simultaneouslywith this, Serial No. 229,808, in which I have shown and described thesame machine which constitutes the subject-matterof this application, Ihave set up certain specific claims on said machine, and I wish it to beunderstood that i set up no claim or claims in this application for anyof the specific matters which may be covered by the claims of said othercase.

l-l'aviii gnow so fully explained the construction and operation of myimproved weighing apparatus in that form in whichI have successfullyused it, what I claim, broadly, in this case, and desire to secure byLetters Patcut, is.

1. In a weighing-maehine'specially adapted to weigh and record theweights of loads passing over a railway, the combination of thefollowing instrumentalities, arranged and operating in substantially themanner hereinbefore set forthviz., first, a suitable depressibleplatform provided with tracks which form continuations of those of therailway upon which theloadto beweighc'd is supposed to travel andsuitably supported in the proper relationship to said railway; second,the system of supporting-levers forming the connecting means betweensaid depressible platform and its means of support, the final one of theseries of said levers constituting the weightindicating beam, and beingarranged to move (by the depression of the depressible platform) inopposition to the resistance of a suitable spring; third, the markingdevice arranged at the end of the longer arm of said final one of theseries of levers and operating to make marks of lengths correspondingwith those of the movements. of the end of said lever, and, fourth, asuitable surface for the regist 'ation thereon of the marks so made bythe device at the end of said lever.

2. The combination of the followinginstrumentalities, all arranged andoperating together in substantially the manner and for the purposeshereinbefore set forth: first, the railway over which the travelingloads to be weighed are supposed to travel; second, the

depressible platform provided with rails which form eontinuations of therails of said railway, and which is suspended from suitabletheapparatus, and operating, as specified, to preventthe marking device oi?the lever G making any movement beyond the point up to which it shouldmove, in order to make a mark that will correctly indicate the weight.exerted upon the depressihle platform hythe load being weighed, and tothus prevent any inaccuracy in the registration oi? the lines or marksemployed for estimating the aggro; 0 weight. of the loads passed overthe depre hle platform.

3. In a weighingapparatus or eout-rimnee adapted specially to theweighing of travelinp, loads, the combination of, first, the depressibleplatform l), suspem'led from suitable supports, and havingits traekarranged substantially in line with that ol' the railway over which theloads to llOWOlg'llOd are supposed to travel; 'econd, a suitablesupporting-i' rame operating to sustaint-he suspended aml'depressihleplatiorn'i; third, a resistant BEST AVAZLABLE coespring connected at oneend to'the final one of the system oi. levers and at the other end tosome stationary port-ion of the apparatus, and, fourth, a system oflovers, each one of which has its pivotal or lfuleralpoint-S(orknifeedge hearings) arranged in' a right line,in order that eaeh andevery one of said levers may workat all times with the vsame degree ofleverage, and the final one of which system of levers operates toproduce a recordof marks, the various lengths of which corre-- spondsuhstantiall y with the variable movements of its longer arm, the saidcombination as awholc being and operating inthe manner and for thepurposes hereiubefore set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of August,1886.

ALEXANDER E. BROWN. In presence of{ E. 'l. seovum, uAs. W. KELLY.

